NEXUS travel cards are part of an automated border clearance program jointly administered by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Canadian and U.S. border officers pre-approve NEXUS cardholders. Members who make frequent trips across the American border benefit the most from NEXUS privileges.
Currently, applicants must pay a non-refundable $50 processing fee to apply for or renew a 5-year NEXUS membership card.
Eligibility for NEXUS Travel Card Membership
To participate in NEXUS, applicants must be citizens of Canada or the U.S. and have lived continuously in either or both of these countries for the last 3 years.
Both Canadian and American customs officials have the right to reject a NEXUS application. According to the Join NEXUS page on the CBSA website, grounds for rejection include:
- Intentionally providing false or incomplete information on application
- Unpardoned convictions on serious criminal offenses
- Any recorded violations of agriculture, customs or immigration laws.
Children under age 18 may be approved for NEXUS cards even though their parents or guardians are not NEXUS members.
NEXUS Member Card Benefits for Air Travelers
NEXUS cardholders save a great deal of time at self-service kiosks in the Canadian inspection services sections or American preclearance areas. The self-service kiosks in both countries have biometric cameras that capture and recognize the unique irises of cardholder eyes.
Like all travelers, NEXUS members are subject to customs duties and taxes on any purchases that exceed duty free allowances for their visits. All air travelers entering the U.S. must complete Customs Declaration Form 6059B, while persons entering Canada by air have to fill out CBSA Declaration Card Form E311.
NEXUS Member Card Benefits for Cross-Border Shopping by Vehicle
American and Canadian NEXUS members crossing the border by car, bus or truck are entitled to use dedicated NEXUS traffic lanes. These dedicated lanes can save hours of wait time compared to regular customs inspection lines. Members simply have to present their NEXUS cards in front of a card reader, and then proceed to a customs booth for a visual inspection.
Vehicles carrying even one passenger who is not a NEXUS cardholder must use regular customs lanes.
NEXUS members entering the U.S. with imported goods for personal use can use the NEXUS lane to make an oral declaration to American customs officers. Canadian residents returning to Canada with imported personal use items must submit a completed Traveller Declaration Card in a designated box in the NEXUS lane. Without the prefilled declaration card, NEXUS cardholders will be required to use the regular inspection lanes.
Payment of Amounts that Exceed Duty Free Allowances
While NEXUS is a great crossborder solution that saves time, NEXUS cardholders are responsible for customs duties that exceed duty free allowances. For example, each U.S. visitor to Canada has a duty-free allotment for gifts valued at C$60 or less. Canadians returning to Canada can bring in the following amounts without paying duty:
- $50 personal use exemption for each U.S. visit of up to 24 hours (excludes alcohol and tobacco)
- $400 personal use exemption for each U.S. visit of up to 48 hours (includes alcohol and tobacco)
- $750 personal use exemption for each U.S. visit of up to 7 days (includes alcohol and tobacco).
Where Cross-Border Shoppers Can Apply for NEXUS Travel Cards
For Canadian air travelers, NEXUS enrollment centers are located at airports in most major cities across Canada. All of those offices have camera equipment to take iris photographs for member identification.
For land travelers, there are NEXUS enrollment centers in the following U.S. cities:
- Blaine, Washington
- Calais, Maine
- Champlain, New York (takes iris photographs)
- Detroit, Michigan
- Niagara Falls, New York
- Pembina, North Dakota
- Port Huron, Michigan
- Seattle, Washington
- Sault St. Marie, Michigan
- Sweetgrass, Montana
- Warroad, Minnesota
In Canada, applicants may schedule an appoint to enroll for NEXUS membership at offices in the following locations:
- Fort Erie, Ontario (takes iris photographs)
- Fort Frances, Ontario
- Lansdowne, Ontario
- Vancouver, British Columbia (takes iris photographs)
- Woodstock, New Brunswick (takes iris photographs).
With a strong Canadian dollar, one can safely predict an increase in the number of Canadian cross-border shoppers applying for NEXUS member card privileges.
NEXUS travel cards do save time – a significant bonus to bargains bought south of the border with Canadian currency.
Daniel Workman - A senior business and finance writer who also does French translations, notably international trade and insurance materials.
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